This is a simple recipe which can be made two different ways – plain Italian or spiced Moroccan – used for a wide-range of recipes.

Like all other lacto-fermented foods made in the Pickl-It, the water-airlock and Pickl-It air-tight seal keep oxygen out, and the lactic-acid in for a superb anaerobic lacto-fermenting chamber.

Lacto-fermented citrus recipe uses more salt than lacto-fermentation vegetable recipes, such as sauerkraut or even cucumber pickles. When you’re dealing with fruit, you are dealing with a very different set of microbes, so please don’t skimp on the salt as they inhibit putrefying bacteria.

Also, keep in mind, these lacto-fermented lemons are meant to be used sparingly, their brine, rind, zest or flesh, added by the teaspoonfuls for a “punch” of flavor, not meant to dominate the essence of the dish.

Add lemon zest to a basic avocado and tomato salad, along with a dash of salt and pepper

Season couscous or rice, adding either the brine, flesh or zest of fermented lemons, just before serving

Both recipes begin with the same foundation: whole thick-skinned American-style lemons – quartered, but not cut completely through – which are then stuffed with several tablespoons of salt and packed into a Pickl-It container, then covered with freshly-squeezed lemon juice-brine.

This is the stopping point if you want a traditional, Italian, lacto-fermented lemon, ready in 30-days of fermenting at room temperature – between 68-72F. At the end of that wait, you’ll be rewarded with a flavorful, beautiful batch of classic Italian preserved lemons, which you will keep for months, stored in your refrigerator.

If Moroccan preserved lemons are preferred, simply add the following whole, organic spices, and then ferment for 30-days:

bay leaf – 4

cinnamon stick – 2 3-inch

allspice – 1 T

coriander seed – 1 T

The spices transform the flavor profile to that of traditional north African cuisine, reflecting a wide variety of classic Moroccan dishes.

If you can’t decide, make two different batches. There are so many recipes to try!